Stuhr: Blaming closures on Lowe's is disappointing

Related Media

I would consider myself an adamant supporter of local businesses. Unfortunately, I do not find myself shedding a tear over the closing of Bucksworth and BigHorn.

Bucksworth closed up shop over the summer several weeks before Lowe's opened. While the imminent opening may have accelerated their closure, a business that has a sign on their front counter that read "Price, Quality, Service, Pick 2" is not a business that is going to survive regardless of the economy. For what it is worth, they offered neither quality service or a reasonable price, while their quality was just standard.

BigHorn just as well closed up shop a year ago. Their shelves inside and out were nearly empty. If you wanted one item, you were fine, if you needed three of them, it might be here on a truck in a month. To buy a toilet, you had to drive to Avon or Evergreen, and this was months before Lowe's even opened their doors.

The opening of Lowe's may have accelerated the closing of BigHorn and Bucksworth, but it was by no means the cause. Bucksworth closed while Lowe's was still a big, empty, unfinished shell. BigHorn cleared their inventory a year ago, just waiting to close their doors.

While the loss of two local businesses is disappointing, to blame the closure on the opening of Lowe's is just plain denial.